3036: Chess Zoo - Revision history

FaviFake: given the proposal made at the community portal, i'm merging Blondie and Miss Lenhart, just like Cutie and Megan

2026-05-09T15:39:12Z

given the proposal made at the community portal, i'm merging Blondie and Miss Lenhart, just like Cutie and Megan

Chronotix: /* Explanation */

2026-05-04T18:29:18Z

‎Explanation

FaviFake at 16:27, 11 March 2025

2025-03-11T16:27:25Z

FaviFake: thanks, cleaning up and removing notice

2025-03-11T16:26:18Z

thanks, cleaning up and removing notice

ScienceD90: Moved the colored version of the image into the explanation section and modified some related text in the trivia section

2025-03-11T15:13:43Z

Moved the colored version of the image into the explanation section and modified some related text in the trivia section

FaviFake: smaller than A Bunch of Rocks yet in large drawings?

2025-02-06T15:30:20Z

smaller than A Bunch of Rocks yet in large drawings?

FaviFake: HIGHLY debatable whether this is considered a Category:Large drawings, but I'll limit myself to reming this useless link

2025-01-29T18:29:53Z

HIGHLY debatable whether this is considered a Category:Large drawings, but I'll limit myself to reming this useless link

FaviFake: Undo revision 363001 by 172.71.150.168 (talk) - Agree with te previous editor

2025-01-21T16:20:41Z

Undo revision 363001 by 172.71.150.168 (talk) - Agree with te previous editor

172.71.150.168: Undo revision 362984 by 172.68.42.41 (talk) - It could be that the actual promotion processes produces the noise.

2025-01-20T22:47:35Z

Undo revision 362984 by 172.68.42.41 (talk) - It could be that the actual promotion processes produces the noise.

172.68.42.41: /* Explanation */ Removed the bit about promoting pawns making a noise - it's clearly a reference to pawns being like babies growing up, needing quiet to promote etc, like seen in zoos.

2025-01-20T16:55:04Z

‎Explanation: Removed the bit about promoting pawns making a noise - it's clearly a reference to pawns being like babies growing up, needing quiet to promote etc, like seen in zoos.

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 :Banner: ''Shh! Pawns promoting.''
-:[Jill near the center, standing in front of Blondie and pointing forward:]
+:[Jill near the center, standing in front of Miss Lenhart and pointing forward:]
 :Jill: Look, mommy! Bishops!
@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 :[Bottom row from the right: Under the fourth black square from the right another Cueball looking into the White pawns only section, there are three pawns, none of them has promoted, bu their is also no banner- This room also has double thickness walls. Under the tenth black square to the 13th are four people in a row, from the right, another White Hat, another Hairy, another Hair Bun and another Cueball. They look into the white rooks only section. There are four rooks, one of them on the way into a hall towards the room above. Under the 21st black square from the right Megan is looking into the white King and Queens only section. There are three Queens with the King. A fourth queen is in a room above, where she is together with a knight.]
-:[Up the left side from the bottom: The the left of black square three from the bottom another Hairy is looking into the white King and Queens only section. The seventh black square from the bottom it moved on space to the right. In the hole left there another Cueball is standing so he can see the passage where the white King and Queen can move into a room where also white knights can be, and there is one knight and one queen. To the left of outer wall 27 squares up, is Blondie, she is standing in the normal row left of the wall, but at a place where there is an indentation, so she is not next to the nearest black square. Se looks into the black knights only section with only one knight present. Four squares above her another Ponytail is standing in an indentation in the wall looking into the room where the black King and Queens can be together with the black knights, there is a queen and a knight. Four squares above this another Hairy is seen. He seems to have turned away from the wall walking to the left, so he is not looking into the black King and Queens only section behind him.]
+:[Up the left side from the bottom: The the left of black square three from the bottom another Hairy is looking into the white King and Queens only section. The seventh black square from the bottom it moved on space to the right. In the hole left there another Cueball is standing so he can see the passage where the white King and Queen can move into a room where also white knights can be, and there is one knight and one queen. To the left of outer wall 27 squares up, is Miss Lenhart, she is standing in the normal row left of the wall, but at a place where there is an indentation, so she is not next to the nearest black square. Se looks into the black knights only section with only one knight present. Four squares above her another Ponytail is standing in an indentation in the wall looking into the room where the black King and Queens can be together with the black knights, there is a queen and a knight. Four squares above this another Hairy is seen. He seems to have turned away from the wall walking to the left, so he is not looking into the black King and Queens only section behind him.]
-:[The opening into the enclosure from the left to the end: Three squares in at the bottom over a black square one higher than the nearest another Megan walks to the right, next to her another Cueball walks the same way, he is not directly over a black square. And one further left below in one if the indentations another Ponytail. They are all above the white knights only section, with only one knight present. Above the first of the two Cueball's at the top of the opening in an indentation is Knit Cap looking into the black knights only section. At the bottom four squares further in than Ponytail is a person standing in an indentation with very large hair looking into a room where both white knights and rooks can be together, one of each is present. One further square in but two above him is another Blondie and next to her Jill pointing at the room with white and black bishops together, as she calls out. This room is the one where they are on their own color square, three white on white and three  black on gray squares. Above them is the room where both black knight and black rooks can be together, with three knights and one rook. One square further in and one below them is another Cueball looking in to a section only accessible to white rooks next to the bishops room. There is one rook there. But below this part of the room it opens up and has both white rooks (3) and white bishops (5) with three bishops on white and two on gray squares. A similar room is above these last three persons with a black rook in the near part not accessible to bishops but then black rooks (1) and black bishops (3) can be together in the rest of that room. All bishops on gray squares.]
+:[The opening into the enclosure from the left to the end: Three squares in at the bottom over a black square one higher than the nearest another Megan walks to the right, next to her another Cueball walks the same way, he is not directly over a black square. And one further left below in one if the indentations another Ponytail. They are all above the white knights only section, with only one knight present. Above the first of the two Cueball's at the top of the opening in an indentation is Knit Cap looking into the black knights only section. At the bottom four squares further in than Ponytail is a person standing in an indentation with very large hair looking into a room where both white knights and rooks can be together, one of each is present. One further square in but two above him is another Miss Lenhart and next to her Jill pointing at the room with white and black bishops together, as she calls out. This room is the one where they are on their own color square, three white on white and three  black on gray squares. Above them is the room where both black knight and black rooks can be together, with three knights and one rook. One square further in and one below them is another Cueball looking in to a section only accessible to white rooks next to the bishops room. There is one rook there. But below this part of the room it opens up and has both white rooks (3) and white bishops (5) with three bishops on white and two on gray squares. A similar room is above these last three persons with a black rook in the near part not accessible to bishops but then black rooks (1) and black bishops (3) can be together in the rest of that room. All bishops on gray squares.]
-:[In total there are 9 Cueballs, 5 Hairys, 3 White Hats, 3 Ponytails, 2 Megans, 2 Hairbuns, 2 Blondies, 1 Knit Cap, 1 Danish, 1 Jill, 1 kid with a cap, 1 man with lots of hair, for a total of 31 humans.]
+:[In total there are 9 Cueballs, 5 Hairys, 3 White Hats, 3 Ponytails, 2 Megans, 2 Hairbuns, 2 Miss Lenharts, 1 Knit Cap, 1 Danish, 1 Jill, 1 kid with a cap, 1 man with lots of hair, for a total of 31 humans.]
 :[In total there are the following black pieces 1 king, 5 queens, 6 knights (one a promoted pawn), 5 rooks, 11 bishops and 4 pawns (together with the promoted knight). A total of 32 black pieces. There are the following white pieces: 1 king, 4 queens, 3 knights, 9 rooks, 13 bishops and 3 pawns for a total of 33 white pieces. 65 pieces in all. Similar number of each type of pieces as there are humans, 31, 32 and 33 for a total of 96 squares occupied by something that are "alive".]
@@ Line 131: / Line 131: @@
 [[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Hairbun]]
-[[Category:Comics featuring Blondie]]
+[[Category:Comics featuring Miss Lenhart]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Jill]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Knit Cap]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Danish]]
 [[Category:Multiple Cueballs]]

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 A special feature of the enclosure, mentioned in the caption, is that there is at least one room for every type of pieces where other pieces cannot enter (except the king is always in a room with the queens). This means that even though some of the pieces can mingle with some of the other pieces they can also always retreat to a room where the other pieces cannot disturb them. For instance the top and bottom room with rooks can not be entered by any other type of pieces. In the two rooms right above and below the middle room, the bishops of the same color have their personal room. And also the two rooms to the right where black and white bishops co-exist on different colors, cannot be entered by any other type. (This is of course needed, since else there could be captures).
-The pawns have their own rooms top and bottom right. The knights have a separate room from which they can jump out to the rooms with either rooks or king/queens, but no other piece can enter their personal space to the left. And the king and his queens can retreat top or bottom left where the knights cannot enter. No piece can encounter all the others (even of the same color) but all pieces can meet at least one other type of pieces, the pawns though only after promotion. But they could not meet a king. This is similar to real zoos where separate enclosures are designed to be accessible only to one species (for example, through an opening too small for one of the species to pass through), allowing animals control over their interactions.
+The pawns have their own rooms top and bottom right. The knights have a separate room from which they can jump out to the rooms with either rooks or king/queens, but no other piece can enter their personal space to the left. And the king and his queens can retreat top or bottom left where the knights cannot enter. No piece can encounter all the others, even of the same color, but all pieces can meet at least one other type of piece (the pawns only after promotion, when they still could not meet a king). This is similar to real zoos where separate enclosures are designed to be accessible only to one species (for example, through an opening too small for one of the species to pass through), allowing animals control over their interactions.
 It is unclear what would happen to the pawns after they are promoted. Whether they remain in the "pawn" enclosure or moved to their new enclosure according to their new piece type is not indicated. Also unsure is how the pawns would be repopulated if all of them were to be promoted, leaving the pawn enclosure devoid of pawns. It appears that the pawns promoting is part of the zoo's attractions as mentioned in the Banner for the black pawns' enclosure that reads "SHH! PAWNS PROMOTING." It is not explained why the visitors would need to be quiet, but if the logic of treating the pawns like zoo animals is extended then loud and rowdy humans would likely distract, disturb or otherwise prevent the pawns from promoting.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 {{w|Zoo}}s are large encampments where various animals live in small enclosures. They're generally used as public exhibitions for amusement and education and as safe spaces for rescued and endangered animals. Many modern zoos deliberately allow different types of animals to mingle and interact, finding that it promotes enrichment and well-being. Naturally, in such cases, the zoo needs to be designed so that incompatible species (such as predators and prey) aren't allowed to interact, and good designs will allow animals space for rest and privacy when needed.
-[[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png|thumb|right|670px|This is a fan-made version of the comic using partially transparent coloured overlays to illustrate the range of movement each piece has. To show contrast, warm colours (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal, cyan, green) for the white pieces . Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap in places, producing colours that are combination or mixture of the originals.]]
+[[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png|thumb|right|670px|This is a fan-made version of the comic using partially transparent colored overlays to illustrate the range of movement each piece has. To show contrast, warm colors (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal, cyan, green) for the white pieces. Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap and produce colors that are mixture of the originals.]]
 [[Randall]] has created a zoo for giant {{w|chess}} pieces, treating them as if they were animals. He designs the enclosures to allow interactions between different species, but prevents the possibility of one piece capturing another (which is treated as analogous to one animal attacking another), as well as of escape. In the [[#Trivia|Trivia]] section, a coloured version of the zoo shows where different types of pieces can move. The zoo is almost completely horizontally symmetrical from top to bottom  with black pieces on the top and white pieces on the bottom. The only place that isn't completely symmetrical is the entrances to the bishop enclosures.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{incomplete|
+{{w|Zoo}}s are large encampments where various animals live in small enclosures. They're generally used as public exhibitions for amusement and education and as safe spaces for rescued and endangered animals. Many modern zoos deliberately allow different types of animals to mingle and interact, finding that it promotes enrichment and well-being. Naturally, in such cases, the zoo needs to be designed so that incompatible species (such as predators and prey) aren't allowed to interact, and good designs will allow animals space for rest and privacy when needed.
 [[Randall]] has created a zoo for giant {{w|chess}} pieces, treating them as if they were animals. He designs the enclosures to allow interactions between different species, but prevents the possibility of one piece capturing another (which is treated as analogous to one animal attacking another), as well as of escape. In the [[#Trivia|Trivia]] section, a coloured version of the zoo shows where different types of pieces can move. The zoo is almost completely horizontally symmetrical from top to bottom  with black pieces on the top and white pieces on the bottom. The only place that isn't completely symmetrical is the entrances to the bishop enclosures.
-[[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png|frame|right|This is a version of xkcd 3036 "Chess Zoo" with partially-transparent coloured overlays illustrating the range of movement each piece has. Warm colours (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal , cyan, green) for the white pieces to show contrast. Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap in places, producing colours that are combination or mixture of the originals.]]
+There are many subtle "jokes" in the image that play on how chess pieces move:
 * '''♗ Bishops''' can only move diagonally. Enclosures containing them do not have diagonal walls or corners which would allow them to slip out, and orthogonal portals into their enclosures are only one square wide and at least two squares long so that they can't get through. One bishop enclosure even has a portal open to the visiting people, letting it serve as a {{w|petting zoo}}. Opposing bishops can safely mingle as long as they are on opposite colors, since a bishop can never move to a square of the opposite color than the one on which it currently stands. This is enforced by these mingling enclosures only having two openings, each on opposite colored squares (i.e. an enclosure only has an opening for black pieces on white squares and one for white pieces on black squares).
 * '''♘ Knights''' move in an "L" shape (two squares along one orthogonal direction, then one more square in a perpendicular direction), leaping over other pieces and presumably walls. The walls of their enclosures have been designed to prevent escape by placing blocks where they would land if they leapt over the wall, or using double-thick walls. They can also be blocked by the same portals that block bishops, although they would need to be four blocks long instead of two.
 * '''♖ Rooks''' can only move along ranks and files. They have free roam of several enclosures, though diagonal walls are able to stop them, preventing them from accessing the center mingling bishops.
 * '''♕ Queens''' and '''♔ kings''' can move along ranks and files as well as diagonally, so their enclosures must have the same precautions as would be required for both bishops and rooks.
 * '''♙ Pawns''' can only move forward (or diagonally forward when capturing), but upon reaching the final rank (the opponent's back rank), they are "promoted," becoming a knight, bishop, rook, or queen. The pawns are in a double-walled enclosure with no doors to prevent escape after promotion.
-* A special feature of the enclosure, mentioned in the caption, is that there is at least one room for every type of pieces where other pieces cannot enter (except the king is always in a room with the queens). This means that even though some of the pieces can mingle with some of the other pieces they can also always retreat to a room where the other pieces cannot disturb them. For instance the top and bottom room with rooks can not be entered by any other type of pieces. In the two rooms right above and below the middle room, the bishops of the same color have their personal room. And also the two rooms to the right where black and white bishops co-exist on different colors, cannot be entered by any other type. (This is of course needed, since else there could be captures). The pawns have their own rooms top and bottom right. The knights have a separate room from which they can jump out to the rooms with either rooks or king/queens, but no other piece can enter their personal space to the left. And the king and his queens can retreat top or bottom left where the knights cannot enter. No piece can encounter all the others (even of the same color) but all pieces can meet at least one other type of pieces, the pawns though only after promotion. But they could not meet a king. This is similar to real zoos where separate enclosures are designed to be accessible only to one species (for example, through an opening too small for one of the species to pass through), allowing animals control over their interactions.
 It is unclear what would happen to the pawns after they are promoted. Whether they remain in the "pawn" enclosure or moved to their new enclosure according to their new piece type is not indicated. Also unsure is how the pawns would be repopulated if all of them were to be promoted, leaving the pawn enclosure devoid of pawns. It appears that the pawns promoting is part of the zoo's attractions as mentioned in the Banner for the black pawns' enclosure that reads "SHH! PAWNS PROMOTING." It is not explained why the visitors would need to be quiet, but if the logic of treating the pawns like zoo animals is extended then loud and rowdy humans would likely distract, disturb or otherwise prevent the pawns from promoting.
-There are a couple of "interaction" areas that could have been built into the zoo design while preventing piece capture or escape but have not. There is no reason bishops and knights of the same color couldn't occupy the same enclosure, so long as there are adequate walls to prevent knights from escaping their enclosure. Additionally, it would be possible to allow visitor access to the white-bishop-on-black and black-bishop-on-white enclosure, as well as allow visitor access to the knight enclosures, however it is not apparent whether this is a priority of the zoo.
+There are a couple of "interaction" areas that could have been built into the zoo design while preventing piece capture or escape but have not. There is no reason bishops and knights of the same color couldn't occupy the same enclosure, so long as there are adequate walls to prevent knights from escaping their enclosure. Additionally, it would be possible to allow visitor access to the white-bishop-on-black and black-bishop-on-white enclosure, as well as allow visitor access to the knight enclosures, however it is not apparent whether this is a priority of the zoo. Every visitor of the zoo is depicted as centered on a single square occupied only by themselves, just like a chess piece. This could perhaps imply an entire chess board "world", where humans and chess pieces coexist as separate species, both aligned to the grid.
 The title text contains a pun on the word 'mating'. The phrase "mating in captivity" is typically used to refer to animals in zoos copulating, hopefully producing offspring. This is typically done for species that are endangered (in hopes of reintroducing them to the wild, and in the meantime maintaining a healthy population of their own), but in the relatively safe and nurturing environment of the zoo could become problematic if allowed to happen without a certain degree of planning. In a conservation program, much thought may be put to how to avoid inbreeding, overpopulation and social stresses amongst the animals (as well as the problems of feeding and housing all the offspring), and so males and females may be given limited and highly curated access to each other, strictly according to the identified breeding requirements.
@@ Line 115: / Line 118: @@
 ==Trivia==
-*User [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] made the [https://pasteboard.co/64VsBMA5af8l.png image used above] of the board with colors showing which rooms the different pieces can enter by mixing colors.
+*[[User:D5xtgr]] created the [[#Explanation|image of the board above]], showing which rooms the different pieces can enter.
-**It was uploaded here with help, as D5xtgr could not at the time upload files:
-<!-- [[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png]] -->
+*Jake Ouellette created an [https://cadencecode.com/play/zooofchess interactive simulation of the Chess Zoo], which has several more jokes embedded in it.
-**This is a version of xkcd 3036 "Chess Zoo" with partially-transparent coloured overlays illustrating the range of movement each piece has. Warm colours (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal , cyan, green) for the white pieces to show contrast. Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap in places, producing colours that are combination or mixture of the originals.
 {{comic discussion}}

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 [[Randall]] has created a zoo for giant {{w|chess}} pieces, treating them as if they were animals. He designs the enclosures to allow interactions between different species, but prevents the possibility of one piece capturing another (which is treated as analogous to one animal attacking another), as well as of escape. In the [[#Trivia|Trivia]] section, a coloured version of the zoo shows where different types of pieces can move. The zoo is almost completely horizontally symmetrical from top to bottom  with black pieces on the top and white pieces on the bottom. The only place that isn't completely symmetrical is the entrances to the bishop enclosures.
 There are many subtle "jokes" in the image that play on how chess pieces move:
@@ Line 113: / Line 115: @@
 ==Trivia==
-*User [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] made the [https://pasteboard.co/64VsBMA5af8l.png following depiction] of the board with colors showing which rooms the different pieces can enter by mixing colors.
+*User [[User:D5xtgr|D5xtgr]] made the [https://pasteboard.co/64VsBMA5af8l.png image used above] of the board with colors showing which rooms the different pieces can enter by mixing colors.
 **It was uploaded here with help, as D5xtgr could not at the time upload files:
-[[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png]]
+<!-- [[File:3636 Chezz Zoo-with colors.png]] -->
-*This is a version of xkcd 3036 "Chess Zoo" with partially-transparent coloured overlays illustrating the range of movement each piece has. Warm colours (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal , cyan, green) for the white pieces to show contrast. Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap in places, producing colours that are combination or mixture of the originals.
+**This is a version of xkcd 3036 "Chess Zoo" with partially-transparent coloured overlays illustrating the range of movement each piece has. Warm colours (red, brown, orange, yellow) are used for the black pieces, and cool colours (blue, teal , cyan, green) for the white pieces to show contrast. Because some regions are accessible to multiple pieces, these overlays overlap in places, producing colours that are combination or mixture of the originals.
 **The text taken from the page where the original image was posted.
 *Jake Ouellette made an [https://cadencecode.com/play/zooofchess interactive simulation of the chess zoo], which has several more jokes embedded in it.

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 {{comic discussion}}
 [[Category:Chess]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 | date      = January 10, 2025
 | title     = Chess Zoo
 | image     = chess_zoo_2x.png
 | imagesize = 740x1221px